Unchosen Life
by PollyWantCookie
Summary: Yoda orders Mace Windu to take on a new Padawan, but when she gets lost things take a turn for the worse. This is my first real fanfic, so please be kind. The story is a bit sketchy, don't expect loads of detail. - WARNING: This is in serious need of reworking -
1. A new path

_A/N: This is partially based on "Shatterpoint. A Clone Wars Novel" by Matthew Stover, so maybe you should get yourself a summary for better understanding ( wookiepedia, amazon). Also there is a bit much dialogue in it. I like dialogue.  Further note that English is not my mother tongue._

_Disclaimer: This is borrowed from Star Wars. Master George Lucas owns it. And I would trade every bit I invented myself for some chocolate cookies and a cup of tea._

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Unchosen Life - Chapter One : A new path

Mace Windu opened his eyes, breathing hard. In his dreams he had been in the arena on Geonosis again, facing Count Dooku and Jango Fett. But it was the first time ever that his former Padawan Depa Billaba appeared in this dream. She looked at him without seeing him and there was the rag over her forehead that covered the place where her Grand Mark of Illumination had been cut off. And then he was back in that damned jungle, facing the darkness within himself. She had said that however the war would turn out in the end, the Jedi would lose. And she had surrendered. Nowadays her presence in the Force was lost, there was only darkness. And it was his fault. He had sent her on that mission to Haruun Kal, the planet he had been born on. He hadn't seen what would happen to her. To him. And now he had lost her. Failed her.

He rose and dressed. There wasn't much to do for him today, nothing except coordinating the fighting Jedi, but that was merely routine. After a moment of thought he decided to skip breakfast and meditate instead. He wandered through the dimly lit corridors of the temple towards the small meditation chambers, without meeting anyone but his own dark thoughts, only accompanied by his wavering shadow. He opened a door and sat down on the small carpet. There was a large painting on one wall, showing different shades of blue that were blurred into one another. The soft tinkling noise of water running over pebble stones somehow managed to calm him down. He closed his eyes and opened up to the Force.

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Lynna Sajar opened her eyes, breathing hard. In her dreams she had been in the arena of Geonosis again, facing the battle droids alongside her master. But her dream was not just a repetition of what had happened. In her dream her master turned to her one last time after that fatal blaster shot tore her breast. "You failed me." And Lynna knew that her master was right. She had failed her. She should have been better, even closer to the Force. Not her beloved master should have died on that day, but she herself. Better than being a burden to the order, a half-trained Padawan without a master.

She rose and dressed. It gave her a strange feeling that she couldn't go to her master's quarter now to share their morning tea. She didn't feel hungry, so she decided to skip breakfast and meditate instead. The blue light that constituted the night time illumination of the temple's corridors soothed her troubled mind. Then she heard the clanking of a stick drawing nearer. There was only one person who produced such sounds: Grand Master Yoda. She turned round a corner and faced the tiny, green and incredibly powerful gnome. "Padawan Sajar. A morning bird you are, hm?"

"Usually not, but I just couldn't sleep anymore."

"A nightmare you had, huh? Pale, you are. Skinny. Eat, you must. Have breakfast with me, you will." She bowed.

"Yes, master. I'm honoured."

Yoda chuckled and she followed him to the dining hall.

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Lynna kept her gaze fixed to her plate. She was still not hungry, but if Yoda told one to eat something one did, even if it made one feel sick. "Don't look up, don't look up." It was hard to ignore the slurping noises and the smell that came from the place opposite her. Yoda was definitely not her first choice for sharing any meal, as he preferred to eat things that looked like either mud or the rather inedible remains of some stinking beast.

"A new master, you need. Resume your training, we must."

"But who would choose me? I don't think many masters want to take on a Padawan who already had three years training with a master who then died. I'd say they'd rather take on one of the young ones. Besides I'm not quite sure that _I_ want a new master right now."

"Let go of the ones that become one with the Force. A new master, I found for you. Need a new Padawan, he does. Heal and help each other, you will."

"Who is it? And he really wants to be my master?"

"Know it, he does not yet. Tell him soon, I will."

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Mace stared at his old friend. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. "I can't take a new Padawan. I don't have the time to train him thoroughly. And I have already given proof of what I do to mine. I failed once, but I will not fail twice."

"Not your fault what happened to Depa. Her own path, she chose. Away from you, it led her. Now a new path, I offer to you."

"And I suppose you will not accept 'no' as an answer."

"Quite determined I am. Meet her tomorrow, you shall."


	2. Master and Padawan

A/N: Action will come on in the next chapter, which should be up in a week (depends on how often I can trick the Writer's Block). Thanks to everyone who read this, it is going to get more interesting in the end. Please review!!

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Unchosen Life – Chapter 2

Mace had to admit that he liked the girl. She seemed to be quick and although she wasn't really shy she stayed in the background even while he was talking to her. "I'm sorry about your master. I did not know her well, but she was always friendly and ready to help others solving their problems." "She was indeed." A sad smile crossed the girl's face. "I know that I can never truly replace her, but I do think I can train you to be as good a Jedi as she wanted you to become." "I hope I can meet your and her expectations. I failed her once when she died. I don't want to fail her a second time, even though she's now one with the Force." "I'm sure you won't. I sense great potential in you." She thanked him with a small bow.

Having a new master barely changed Lynna's life as he did not have much time to spend on her training. Sometimes she would accompanie him on missions, but those were rare occassions of such great importance and always connected with the most complex politics that she could hardly understand what was happening. She tried to learn from it, though. Her patience grew infinitly and her scale for measuring boredom excessivly detailed. So she made the most of here time on Coruscant, meditating, training, learning, researching. But no-one cared about her the way her former master had. Her old friends were still her friends, but the relentless war did not refrain from moving their names to the long list of the dead. And those who remained where changed. Her case was not very special, there were lots of Padawans who had lost their masters, and, reverse, maybe even more masters who had not been able to save their Padawans. Not a day went by without bad news reaching the temple. But she could not know that she herself would be the cause of very bad news soon.

"Lynna." "Yes, master?" "We are leaving tomorrow. There is a problem in communicating with the Shinalat- system in the Outer-Rim." "But why should they send us to solve a technical problem? Did you ask for a holiday?" Mace rewarded that comment with a Look. She immediately drew back. "I'm sorry master. Please continue." "It is not a technical problem, actually they don't want to talk to us even though they technically could." "So we're going to convince them that the Republic is still the best for them?" "Yes. And maybe we can help them getting rid of the pirate slavers who have a base somewhere in the system." "That would increase our chances of getting through to them." "Correct. You being informed now about this mission, I shall leave as I still have some business to attend to. We will meet tomorrow at 0430 at the flight deck." And he left without another word. Her gaze followed him until he vanished from sight by turning round a corner. Maybe they would "get through" to the inhabitants of the Shinalat-system, but she did not feel as if she could "get through" to her master, be it now or in future. He seemed to go to some effort in keeping her at distance – both physically and mentally. She snorted. Really, she saw the waiter droids in the dining hall a lot more often than she saw her master. Maybe this next mission would do the wonder. Maybe he would eventually warm up to her. Or maybe she had fallen prey to one of the many mistakes master Yoda always claimed to have made. Then she set her face rigid and walked off, trying to memorize every single reason why a Jedi did not dwell on the manifold possibilities of "maybe".

Mace turned around the corner, his cloak flapping at his heels. He strode through the corridor, turned around the next corner and stopped dead in his tracks to avoid colliding with master Yoda. "Looking for you, I was." "Why?" "Content with you, I am not. Train young Lynna right, you do not." He accentuated each sentence by hitting Mace's shins with his Gimer-stick. "More important than your datapad, she should be to you. More time you've got to spend with her, to train her right." "I did warn you that I don't have the time to train a Padawan thoroughly. Anyway, I still have some things to do that need to be done today as we are leaving tomorrow. Furthermore I am going to spend the most of the next few weeks with Lynna's training. May the Force be with you." With that he left, ignoring Yoda who shook his head disapprovingly.


	3. Lost and looked for

_A/N: I know this has taken some time, but I didn't have much time and less ideas. Now, here is chapter three and there even is some action in it!! Enjoy and review?_

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Unchosen Life - Chapter Three: Lost and looked for

Lynna coaxed her fighter up and about, evading the last explosion her guns had caused in the mass of pirate slavers. "_What a wonderful plan_", she thought. "_'We'll just solve their little pirate problem.'_" She gritted her teeth and destroyed two more fighters. The rest of skirted away to come out of her range, but the long time she had spent at the temple had filled her with a need for action and, although she would never admit it, she craved for battle. She fired -- one. She fired again -- another one. She wove her way through the space between their own fleet and that of the pirates, avoiding the dogfights clone pilots and pirates were engaged in.

"Bloody pirates."

"Control your emotions, Padawan", her master told her.

She gave the comm-unit an annoyed look and concentrated on her goal again.

"Yes, master."

His presence was far behind her, but right now she didn't bother where he was or what he was doing. Now she would try to destroy that scum's flagship.

Mace stood on the bridge of the Venator Cruiser that served as his flagship and watched the tiny dot on the battlefield's chart that represented his Padawan. At least she seemed to enjoy her time, the echoes of satisfaction reached him through the Force whenever she scored a hit. Suddenly he righted himself and stared at the displays. Something wasn't right. Danger was coming on – not for himself, but for… The pirate flagship jumped to hyperspace, its mark vanishing on the chart. And in its shadow it took along another ship.

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Lynna swore under her breath as she was escorted to the pirate ship. She had had no chance to escape, in fact it had been sheer luck that the unexpected journey through hyperspace hadn't crashed her fighter. The moment they had been back to real space they had attacked her and rendered her helpless in the course of minutes. She watched the doors to the hangar bay open and close to let her and her escort in. She landed, got out, and quickly surveyed her surroundings. Before the escorting pirates had left their cockpits she was on her way, lightsaber in hand, though not activated. She jumped onto some crates stacked in a corner, dragged away a small grating and crept through the ventilation shaft.

She let the Force guide her. _'Here'_ it said. Using her lightsaber she cut a hole into the ground and resumed her way in the half-light of a maintenance corridor. Following the feelings she received through the Force she hid her lightsaber behind a panel. _'Here'_. She opened a hatch and in a moments notice she was facing several dozen blaster muzzles.

_"Great. Thanks",_she thought_,"Even the Force is not interested in my wellbeing."_ She took a step forward into the corridor. The blasters followed. A door opened somewhere behind her, slow footsteps drew closer to her.

"Now, now, now, what have we got here?"

A smooth voice, male, probably human, murmuring into her ear. She could feel the speaker's breath. His… beard tickled her neck. Another person stepped to her side. Handcuffs fastened round her wrists.

"Now, Missie, it seems you are eager to be in our company, aren't you? Unfortunately we don't have the means to provide you with proper accommodation, you will have to endure the hold."

He raised his voice and commanded:

"Come on boys, take her away. Oh -- just one more thing I have to tell you: These clothes don't favour you at all. I am sure my man will gladly see to it that the beauty of your body can be enjoyed to full extent…"

A hand glided along her right arm, up to her shoulder, along her neck and gripped her chin tightly. She felt a needle intrude her skin and drowsiness crept through her veins.

"Just to ensure the safety of us all, my little Jedi girl."

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Mace paced the bridge of his flagship. He felt anger welling up in him, seeping into his brain, red, hot, clouds of anger. His Padawan had been kidnapped and he had been hardly able to discern her Force-signature, by now he could not feel her at all! He looked up when the hypnotizing swirls of light in hyperspace were reduced to single stars.

"Scan the area, we have to find them!" he ordered.

"There is nothing here. We've lost them, Sir."

Mace felt the urgent need to destroy something. Or kill someone, all the same.

"It's no use staying here, they won't come back if they've ever been here at all. Let's get back and finish this Force-forsaken mission. And then we're going to find my Padawan."

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"No news of your Padawan yet, Master Windu?"

"Nothing, chancellor. We are searching for the pirate base in hope to find her there, but we don't know how long that might take."

"Are you sure she is still alive? Maybe they have killed her directly after leaving hyperspace when they realised that she had followed them. She has been gone for more than two weeks now."

"No. She is still alive, there are some days when I can feel her presence in the Force, although she is very weak."

"Then we shall hope she is not treated to badly, don't you think?"

"Yes, chancellor."

"Well, now let us get back to business. As the Shinalat-system has now agreed to stay within the Rebublic, we can…" His voice trailed off as he left his desk and started wandering around his office, not noticing that the dark Jedi Master was neither following nor listening.

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Lynna opened her eyes. Well, one eye, as the other one was swollen from a quite nasty punch she had received from one of the crewmen. She was feeling dizzy and everything seemed to spin around her, a fact that did not help to diminish the needles in her head. Still, this was nothing compared to effect the drug had on her mind when inserted into her system. She enjoyed the moments of relatively clear thinking after waking up. Slowly the world's violent spin decreased and she was able to take in her surroundings. With a jolt she realised that she was back in her cell. The red glowing of the ray-shield seemed almost friendly to her and with a smile she started counting the rivets of her room to get her brain back to normal function.

At the same time she tried to evade the memories of the times when she had been locked up in the Captains cabin, more precisely the hours when the Captain had been in said cabin too. At least he was keeping the crewmen away from her and he had punished the one who had hit her. But the price was higher than what she had ever been willing to pay and one day not to far in future he would get himself a new toy and give her to somebody else. What he had done had broken her down. She didn't have the strength or willpower left to think of escape, it had taken much to wreck her in that fashion, but it had worked. Now she was barely more than some really expensive, luxury toy. A sudden wave of nausea rose in Lynna's throat, but she kept it down. Slowly she sat up and opened up to the Force, her back leaned against the wall.


	4. The trace

_A/N: Just to inform everyone: This story's plot is already planned and set, I will write an end for it! _

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Unchosen Life - Chapter Four

Mace listened to the water. He sat hidden beneath a bush in the Room of a Thousand Fountains and meditated. Suddenly he caught a glimpse of his Padawan's presence in the Force, but when he tried to enforce the connection he had made it broke of. He opened his eyes and swore under his breath, but his mood had lifted. He nearly smiled. Lynna was still alive and still able to meditate. He rose and walked off. He was hungry. Time for breakfast.

The first thing Mace saw when he entered the dining hall was Yoda sitting a table that was crowded with very silent Padawan's of various ages from twelve to sixteen years. He went over to them and lowered himself on the bench opposite Yoda. The Padawans on his sides gave him as much room as possible and again he nearly smiled. A year ago he would have, but he had not laughed since Geonosis and the only kind of smile that crossed his face nowadays was either bitter or sad.

One of the small waiter droids appeared at his side and he ordered the third breakfast menu. He always chose the third menu, without being able to explain why. He did not even always like the food.

"A trap habits are, I have heard."

"But they constitute some feeling of being safe and being home."

Mace looked surprised at the Padawan who had given that answer.

"Not talking to you, I was."

"My answer would have been nearly the same. Actually", Mace interrupted.

"Hmmph. Want to tell you good news, I did. Do so I probably won't now."

"Good news?"

"No." And Yoda resumed his breakfast and started a conversation with the Padawans around him. Mace was painfully aware of the suppressed smirks and the barely concealed giggling Yoda's refusal to tell him the news had caused.

"Please. Would you please tell me the news? ", he managed to growl through clenched teeth.

"Patience. Tell you later, maybe I will", came the relentless answer.

"Could you at least tell me what the news are about?"

"News about your Padawan, I have. Not going to tell you before you got a bit of humour back, I am."

Mace moaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. Years of experience had taught him that you couldn't force a nearly 900 year old Jedi master to hurry. In fact one couldn't make him do anything he didn't want himself or at least agreed with to some point. Some of the Padawans were now snickering and whispering funny secrets. Mace had the certain feeling of being subject of their little jokes. But his feeling of embarrassment was nothing to the tension that had befallen him. They had news of Lynna! It was a curious thing that he had not spend much time thinking about her when she had been around him, but now she was gone he thought about her all day long, worrying. And something else had changed: He could find her Force-signature more easily when she allowed to be seen on wide distance.

He finished his plate and stood up to bring it to the Rinse Room, as most Jedi affectionately called it. All of them had spend some time there, mainly because it was a good and useful way of punishing Padawans who felt the need to test their limits. Before he returned to his place he refilled his mug with stimcaf. Some of the Padawans had finished their breakfast too and were now on their way to do something else, so it was Yoda, a few Padawans gathered at one end of the table and himself.

"Where did you go?"

"What?"

"Where did you go?" Yoda repeated the strange question.

"I brought my plate to the Rinse Room?"

"Aaah, still some sort of humour you have, hmm? Found the pirate base, our scouts have. Travel there the day after tomorrow, you will."

Mace stared at his old friend. He couldn't keep from being slightly annoyed.

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Mace watched the small moon draw nearer. He tried to be calm and to concentrate on the plan he had worked out with his officers during their flight here. The trouble was that the plan did not give him much to think about. They would land, go in, kill those who tried to attack them and take the base over. And of course they would rescue Lynna.

The bulwarks of the gunship opened. Pale, greyish light welcomed Mace and his clone troopers. They left the ship, using every stone in their path for cover they moved on to the pirate base their scouts had located. The sight was awful, one could hardly see more than some five metres as fog and dust clouded everything. Suddenly they reached the entrance to a canyon. Mace spotted a couple of gun towers, but they seemed to be damaged.

_"Curious",_ he thought.

"Sir, it seems these gun towers have already been destroyed."

"Yes, and I have a bad feeling about this."

They followed the canyon, more careful with every step they took. It seemed it had been driven through the stone by the continuous flow of a lot of water, but here and there were marks of machines. The old riverbed led them in a wide sweep. Then suddenly they were standing in front of a steep wall that possibly had been a waterfall once. Now there was a large, black cavern entrance gaping at them.

"I expected the usual one-mile-diameter no-one-enter steel-door that is always closed, locked, sealed and heavily guarded. But maybe this is the latest trend: We are supposed to believe we could simply walk in without using explosives."

Nervousness spoke from the clone commanders words. This was truly unusual.

"I don't sense a trap. I don't sense anything at all, there seems to be no living person in there."

"Orders, Sir?"

"What is your name, commander?"

"My brothers call me Forron, Sir."

"I suppose the name refers to your number?"

"Yes, Sir, I think so."

"Now commander Forron, I think we should go in there and take a look at things."

"Yes, Sir. Follow!"

They entered the cavernous gap in the rocks. A large entrance hall opened around the, the marks of blaster shots adorned the walls. The light of the helmet lamps fell on heaped bodies. A half destroyed droid in a dark corner no one would ever look in activated what had remained of his mechanical brain. The slow process of registering what happened started.


	5. Fire in the labyrinth

_A/N: Sorry that it took so long, but I couldn't shout at my cowriter for a week + I'm absolutely not content with the chapter itself, so please give me lots of reviews on what you like (or, more likely, don't like) about it. And I have changed the lay-out so the story might get a bit more friendly towards reader's eyes._

Unchosen Life - Chapter Five

„You should thank the Force for those air filters, the stench in here is horrible", Mace forced himself to say.

He tried not to breath through his nose, at least it saved him from getting fully hit by the smell of rotten flesh. The clones chuckled. Carefully they made their way in between the rubble and heaps of bodies. At the far end of the hall were several doorways and a lot of staircases led up to a maze of catwalks and more doorways.

"I think we have to split up, Sir, or won't find anything within the next five years."

"You're right, Commander. We will divide into four groups. You, you and you will come with me."

The three clones he had indicated positioned themselves behind him.

"All groups contact every fifteen standard minutes starting from now. We're looking for someone alive and information about Lynna."

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Mace cursed the pirates, their mothers, the building, the planet and everything. He seldom let his emotoins run free like this, but they had got completely lost and one of the groups had not reported for two hours. His comlink beeped.

"Team Bacta, we're back in the entrance hall, Sir."

"Stay there and await further orders."

They would be safe there. The only things they had found were bodies and debris, there had been a fight, between rivaling pirate gangs. This one had lost for now.

"Sir, there is a locked door at the end of the corridor."

"Open it."

"Yes Sir."

The clone went to key pad and started to enter orders.

Suddenly smooth female voice said:

"Wrong code. Guard functions activated."

A door slammed down behind them and cut off their way back. A hissing noise filled the small chamber that was left for them.

"Dyoxis!"

Mace held his breath. A Jedi could do that for a long time, but not for ever. At some point he would have to breathe again. He used the common hand signals to tell the clone next to him that he should use a detonation pack to open the door in front of them. They gathered in a corner and Mace erected a Force shield around them, then the door blew up. The shield withstood the power of the explosion, but the first door had its wings dangling from their hilts, and the second one had a big dent that looked as if it had received a punch from a giant fist. The wall had also been damaged. A couple of pipes were to be seen at some places.

Carefully they entered the next room.

"Stop!" roared Mace, but it was too late.

The first clone had interrupted the photoelectric barrier that crossed the room in front of the next safety door. Automatic guns started firing. The clone died, hit by at least a dozen shots. Mace deflected what was aimed at him, but could not hinder some shots from hitting the pipes that had been damaged by the explosion before. Liquid Tibanna, used for heating, was unfortunately highly explosive. Mace could hardly cover himself with a Force shield. The ceiling came down, walls bursted, his clones died.

Silence.

The noises of explosion and destruction were still to be heard, but far away, distant.

Mace shove some of the stones the that oppressed him away until he had created a small room in which he could cower. One side of his stony prison was constituted by the safety door. With a sigh he leaned his back against the cold metal. After a few moments he jerked his head around and pressed his ear to the smooth surface. A faint, distant hammering noise came from behind it. A warning, sent to him through the Force, made him back away from the door. Suddenly it burst open and Commander Forron's head appeared.

"Good to see you, Sir. Are you alright, Sir?"

"I am mostly fine. Your brothers are not."

"They died." Silence. "Alright, come on, Sir. This room has another entrance."

Mace heaved himself through the hole and met the stern gaze of several statues that reminded him of Gamorreans.

"Modern Art, Sir. Ugly."

They made their way to the other door, passing various treasures stacked on shelves. When he emerged from the gloom of the safe room his gaze fell on the lights of technical controls.

"Whoever attacked this base had already proceeded on to this control centre, but they didn't open the door to this safe room completely. Seeing that we decided to take a look at it before searching all data for information. Could have been survivors in here."

"Well, I'm not in the position to blame you, am I?"

Chuckle. "No, Sir, you aren't."

Mace went over to the comm unit and made it replay the last message. The blue hologram that now appeared showed him the image of a bearded man, probably tall, with square shoulders and a barrel chest.

"Tell Sovonnak I'm moving my part of the fleet to Umberen. And that I have to talk to him soon. He shall meet me and our problem in two standard days time there."

Mace stared at the little figure that had ceased moving now.

"Commander Forron, I think we have our heading."

"Yes, Sir, but I'd say we need to get out of here before we can hunt this lad down."

"Right. It seems to me that this part of the building is a good deal less damaged, it has probably a different heating system. Let's go."

They were through the next door and halfway through the following corridor when Mace's comlink beeped. The clone whose team he had ordered to stay in the entrance hall reported.

"Sir, we have found a half destroyed droid. It seems to be a protocol droid with guard functions."

"What is so special about it?"

"Sir, it's the only thing in here that's still alive in a way."

"Try to find out what happened."

"Yes, Sir. It may take…"

Another explosion hindered the clone from ever finishing his sentence.

"Guard functions." Mace murmured. He rubbed his temples.

"There have been far too many explosions in here, let us simply leave this place to never come back again."

And they dived back into the labyrinth.

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Hours later, or so it seemed, they saw it: light. The pale, greyish light of this Force-forsaken piece of rock shone through the open main doors of the hangar.

"Out."


	6. Salvation

Lynna stood up and walked around the room, carefully because her body was weak. She fought the now almost constant feeling of nausea along with hunger. The ration bars the pirates had given her were not enough for her, a fact that surprised her. She had been able to live well on ration bars for a long time before. At least the pirates had stopped drugging her when she had made no attempt to escape.

Suddenly she felt a presence of anger spring to her surroundings. A familiar presence, one she had felt many times before, but she had never felt such elation when noticing her master Mace Windu was around. He had found her and he would rescue her! Her mood changed from despair to hope, one of many mood swings she had had to endure lately.

The appearance of the Republic fleet caused a hectic buzz on the pirate ship. Steps passed outside the door. She heard it hiss when it opened. Two pirates came in. They grabbed her arms and started to drag her along.

"Where are we going?"

She asked after freeing herself far enough to walk on her own. No answer, just as she had expected, but if she didn't ask anymore about what was going to happen to her she might just as easily stop caring about it. She actually did not know where there were going, the only way on this ship she knew was from her cell to the Captains cabin. Once again she kept herself from thinking about the room they had just left. Too disturbing where the things that had happened to her there. People were running through the corridors in every direction, probably preparing the ship for combat.

They went through another door.

"Ahh, welcome to the bridge, Missie. I'm a bit busy at the moment, so we have to postpone the guided tour for a while."

The Captain stroked her face and laid his arm around her waist as he manoevred her to the great panorama view. Three cruisers were slowly moving in on them. Her eyes widened in joy. He was there! The last remaining doubts vanished.

"Captain! They want to speak to us!"

The pirate at the sensor station called out.

"Wonderful!"

The Captain shoved Lynna roughly in a corner, where another pirate took hold of her. He nodded towards the sensor station and the pirate pushed some buttons. A blue hologram flickered into life right in the middle of the bridge.

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Mace watched the hologram in front of him without saying a word. After about half a minute the Captain gave up and spoke first.

"How may a humble pirate serve a great Jedi Master?"

"Give my Padawan back and surrender, and you will face a fair trial with a greater chance of pardon."

"And go to jail for years instead of decades?"

"That's right."

"You know, that still doesn't sound like a good deal to me. Why shouldn't I simply cut and run?"

"In that case I would chase you through the galaxy, you would't have a safe port because I could be waiting for you anywhere, anytime, and, believe me, I _would_ find you. And then you'd die. But if you agree to my conditions now…"

Mace had seen the the flicker of fear on the Captain's face when he had uttered his threat.

"Show me Lynna" he demanded. "I have to know she's alright."

The Captain gave a curt nod to someone outside the holographic area. Another pirate stepped forth, and in his tight grip he held Lynna.

"Here she is."

The Captain had grabbed her wrist and pulled her to his side.

Mace was relieved that she seemed to be unharmed. Maybe a little bit thinner than he remembered her. But she would spend a few hours in the med-center anyway.

"And what now?"

The harsh voice brought him out of his observations.

"I will come aboard your ship to retrieve her. And as a sign of good will you will join us on our way back."

"Never."

"Otherwise I will command my officers to blast your ships and your men to pieces."

The Captain struggled for an answer, some way out of this that didn't involve the deaths of all his men, or his own, for that matter. Mace had been right in assuming that, although he was a pirate and a slaver, the Captain would not let his men die for him.

' Comrades as close as brothers. One of the strengths of this special gang, but now turned into a weakness. '

An angry grunt told him that the Captain had reached his final decision.

"Alright then. Come aboard." he hissed through clenched teeth.

Mace nodded, and the connection broke off.

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Mace left the decompression area with half a dozen clones who accompanied him. A group of pirates stood waiting for them. Now they gave way for their Captain, who had Lynna in tow. Her eyes were closed and she had turned her face to the floor. Mace felt an ache in his heart when he saw her small, forlorn figure among the heavy built pirate escort. The Captain took a few steps forward and Mace followes suit. Both their escorts stayed behind, and now they were facing each other in the neutral area between both parties. Lynna stood a step behind the Captain. She still hadn't looked up. Mace took a small projector from his belt and let a holodoc appear between them.

"Fair trial for you and your officers, full pardon for your lower men under the condition that they keep to the law from now on. Will you agree?"

"As long as the only alternative is the death of my boys, I will."

"So be it."

The Captain stepped forward and Lynna finally looked up. Then she opened her eyes.

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As Lynna took in the familiar face in front of her, a wave of joy rushed through her body. She had to remind herself that she needed to breathe. She was free! Her master had come. The utter relief she felt nearly let tears flow from her eyes. A couple of quick steps brought her to his side and she wrapped herself gratefully in the heavy robe he handed her. She felt safe and calm now.

"Where is her weapon?"

Mace turned to the Captain.

"What are you talking about?" the man gave back with a confused look on his face.

"I hid it on this ship, he has never seen it." Lynna cut in.

"Then we'll go and retrieve it."

After some protest the Captain led the way to the place where she had been captured.

"You should never leave your weapon behind. It is your life. Why did you abandon it?"

"It was the will of the Force that I shouldn't defend my freedom. I hid my sword and let them capture me."

Mace looked at her thoughtfully. He hadn't expected that. Every Jedi was eager to follow the will of the Force, but hardly any actually got hints what the will of the Force _was_. 'The Force had wanted Lynna to be captured?' But he had to save the contemplation of this new revelation for his meditation later. The dealings with the pirates needed all his attention now.

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_A/N: Chapter seven will probably be finished two weeks after Easter. Maybe I can even make that one week._

_Great thanks to everyone who read until here. Greater thanks for reviews - I'd like some more of them. Even if it's only to say that the story's crap._


	7. Final Decision

Unchosen Life – Chapter 7

Mace entered the cruiser's mediward and stepped to the next healer droid.

"I'd like to see Lynna Sajar's medical records."

The droid led him to a terminal and entered some orders, then it stepped aside. Mace nodded and scrolled through the data. No infections, no illness, no injuries. Then, at the end of the list, stood something that froze the blood in his veins. He stood absolutely still, trying to fully understand what he saw. There, in clear, uncompromising letters, was to read:

"State of pregnancy: Positive. No complications."

Slowly he turned to the droid.

"These records are all correct?" he asked.

"We checked her an hour ago. The records are correct."

Mace mumbled something unintellegible and marched off to find Lynna.

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Lynna stood in front of the panorama window, one hand resting on her abdomen. A dreamy look was on her face and the whole picture was one of contemplation and peace. Mace carefully moved closer to her, as if she was a shy animal that would flee immediately if he showed any haste.

"Lynna?" he asked tentatively.

"Yes, Master?"

There was none of the emotions he had feared in her voice, she sounded calm.

"How – how do you feel?" he managed to say.

"I'm well, Master. Don't worry about me."

"I've just seen your medical records."

Mace blurted out and an awkward silence hung between them. Then Lynna nodded and turned around to look at him.

"If I have to leave the order it's not your fault, Master. You couldn't have done anything to prevent this from happening."

'_But I could have'_ Mace thought bitterly. _'If I'd spent more time with her training she probably wouldn't have become so rash.'_

"And besides", Lynna continued, "what has happened can't be changed anymore."

She observed him sternly, and now it was his turn to nod. Wild thoughts were spinning on his mind, ways to save the situation. Lynna noticed his mind's turmoil. She took a step towards him, then hesitated. With a sigh she slipped out of the robe he had given her before and folded it neatly. She bowed lightly and she handed Mace the brown bundle she concluded: "It has been an honour to be your Padawan. And although I'm deeply sorry that I can no more become a Jedi-knight and so fulfill my master's wish, I have to follow the way the Force wants me to go. And this way leads away from the Jedi order." She smiled weakly. "You haven't failed. You haven't made any wrong decisions. Everything is now how it's meant to be." Mace felt sadness fill his heart as he looked at her. "Will you at least come back to the temple once more? We still need to report and then we need to sort matters out. And you can say good bye to your friends. You can stay until you've found a way to live – outside." She nodded again. "Thank you. I'd highly appreciate that."

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It was a cloudy day on Coruscant and the Council Chamber was filled with a greyish and somewhat dusty light. Lynna stood in the middle of the mosaic that adorned the floor. Every member of the Council listened intently as she retold the story of her capture. "Then I tried to get to the pirate flagship, but when I reached it they jumped to hyperspace and I was dragged along. Back in realspace I was attacked and my fighter badly damaged. Some of their fighters escorted me to the flagship. In the hangar I escaped through a ventilation shaft and then left my lightsaber behind a panel in a maintenance corridor." "Why did you do that?" inquired Ki-Adi Mundi. "The Force told me to do so." she replied simply. The council members exchanged meaningful glances. "Carry on" Yoda said. "I left the corridor and was captured instantly. During my imprisonment I got raped several times. Then Master Windu rescued me." Silence filled the room for a few long moments, then Yoda spoke. "Leave now, you may." She bowed and left. The sound of her boots vanished when the doors closed behind her. "She wants to leave the order." All eyes were on Mace, but he kept his face rigid. "As soon as she knew of her pregnancy she made that decision." His voice betrayed no emotions. "I offered her to stay until she has found a way to support herself outside." "Think that is right, you don't." "It was not her fault. She couldn't have done anything." "But attachment is forbidden" Ki-Adi Mundi said. "If she gave up her child she could stay. Maybe she is seeing matters too strictly." Plo Koon threw in. "But maybe she doesn't want to. I'd say it's only natural that she wants to raise the child herself." argued Stass Allie. "So she would have to leave." "But think of Master Thracia Cho Leem." inserted Mace. "She left the order for several years to 'see something of real life' as she said. She had children and everything, but she came back." Thoughtful silence spread in the room. "This argument settled is, I believe." said Yoda. "Leave now, she may. But come back later, she always can." Everyone nodded. "Then this is agreed" concluded Mace. Lynna was called back in. "The Council has decided." Mace eyes rested on her. "You can leave the order if you wish to do so." Here she nodded. "But you will always be welcome here. You can always come back home." He didn't smile, but is eyes glowed warmly and his expression was not as stonelike as usual. Everyone felt a bit awkward, not knowing what to do. After all, it did't happen often that a Jedi actually left. Then Yoda got up and shuffled up to Lynna. Slowly she knelt down. He smiled at her. "Not cry, you should. Received the most beautiful present the Force can give, you have." And he hugged her. Now every member of the Council stepped forth and each embraced Lynna, some whispering words of good bye, others wishing her good luck and Lynna couldn't help but cry. She had spent her entire life in the temple, and some of the persons in this room had taught her in the earliest years of her training. She felt not at all prepared for the life outside, but she also felt that she really had to go.

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Mace and Yoda had accompanied Lynna on her way to the new Chancellor-Palpatine-Spaceport. Now they stood in front of the building, the speeder that had brought them here hovering just behind them. Lynna nervously ran a hand through her hair. "Well." she said, and sighed. She grimaced. "This is it." Mace placed a hand on her shoulder. "Remember what we told you: You can always return, as long as there are Jedi to welcome you back home." She smiled. "Thank you, Master. For everything." She looked down to Yoda. "Have a good time outside and come back with many experiences of life." He grinned and tapped her lightly with his gimer-stick. "May the Force be with you." She turned back to Mace. "May the Force be with you" he repeated Yoda's words. "And with you, Master" she replied. Then she shouldered her bag and vanished in the crowd.


End file.
